S320CDI 56 plate permanently in Limp Mode

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Stocho

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Jul 4, 2009
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414
Hi,

A few days ago the yellow coloured "Engine" light came on with no text messages on the display. At that time did not affect the performance. For the following couple of days that light was off and the car was OK. Today the light was on again, the car was fine for about 30 minutes and then entered the limp mode.

I tried switching ignition off and on many times, I even disconnected the battery for about 30 minutes hoping to reset electronics in this way but it is now permanently in the limp mode.

When I start the car the "Engine" light stays on. During the first few seconds after starting if I rev the engine it does go to 5-6k. However within seconds it drops to 3K. If I wait a few seconds before revving the engine then it does not go beyond 3K even for a few seconds.

I had a limp mode problem more then a year ago but the symptoms were completely different and it cured itself. The car was serviced with MB specialist about half a year ago and no problems reported - so it would appear to me this is a new problem and the old one resolved itself. The previous problem was discussed here: http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/engi...ft-s211-e320cdi-enters-limp-mode-judders.html


Any advice on the problem and how to fix it would be greatly appreciated!
 
One more thing - in the limp mode I can go up to 70, and presumingly even beyond, it just takes a lot of time to accelerate.
 
Your gona have to plug it in and read the codes. There really is no other way.
 
You can buy Torque Pro App on an Android mobile for about £2.50p

Then buy the EML327 adapter.

You need the mini one as the larger one i had problems with and only read petrol engines!

The error codes are Generic so then can be googled to see what the problem is.

All error codes are grouped and suited to the model you have so you will have to do some research before finding the correct code problem.

Just noticed you are on a 56 plate ....i am on 06 and the error codes for the 2005 model are the same ones as our 2006 motors.
 
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May well be blockage in the EGR system,at the front of the engine there is a silver looking pipe,if you are at all up to doing your own mechanics if you take that off you might find that it is very nearly full of crap a good clean out might cure it.
 
Could be any range of things ranging from cheap to expensive. A few pounds on a STAR diagnosis with am indy money well spent.

The error code is only half the job - interpretation just as necessary.
 
I had the same symptoms a few days again but without the EML. I had a read and concluded it was the MAF. It was cheaper and more convenient for me to take a punt on a new MAF especially over the holiday weekend. 15 mind swapped it out.

Sorted!
 
The battery plays a major role on these cars and recently my gearbox even refused to change, all the symptoms pointed to a conductor plate/speed sensor fault based on reviews and forums but thankfully the good people of Prestige Car Service in Horndean (highly recommended on this forum) did a check and saved me £500 by checking on star and seeing the battery was on its way out. New battery and everything is back to normal.

The S Class are very advanced and so many factors can play a role in the smallest fault. In the long run the diagnosis route is often the cheapest unless the fault is glaringly obvious.
 
Hi,

Thanks a lot for the replies.

Update on the problem.

Two days ago I disconnected the only thing I could see on the airflow pipes that I thought are perhaps MAFs (so now I know they are not MAFs but something else). I attach a picture showing what I disconnected. I was able to drive around with those things disconnected - but I was still in Limp mode.

Yesterday I reconnected those things. I switched on ignition and was able to rev the engine beyond 3K. I drove around and while the "Check Engine" light was on I was out of the limp mode!!!

I was also out of the limp mode today, until the OEBD II reader arrived (ordered 8pm yesterday arrived by 11am today even though it is a Bank Holiday!).

I read the codes and there were eight:
P0111 Intake Air Tempreture Sensor Current Range
P0102 Mass or Volume Air Flow A Current low
P0100 Mass or Volume Airflow A Circuit
P1111
P1102
P0244 Turbocharge Wastegate Solenoid A Range / Performance
P2A00 O2 Sensor Circuit Range / Performance Bank1 Sensir1
P0132 O2 Sensor High Voltage Bank1 Sensor1


I thought some might be very old and some may be due to the things I disconnected - so I tried to erase the codes. This cleared the "Check Engine" light BUT one code could not be cleared - "P0244 Turbocharge Wastegate Solenoid A Range / Performance". My car after code clearing was again in the limp mode.


I then tried starting my car, driving around and clearing codes many times. Howerver it is impossible to clear the P0244 - if it is in the "stored codes" then erasing codes just moves it to pending codes. If it is in "pending codes" then erasing does not do anything. I even tried disconnecting the battery for half an hour but it did not help. The only other code that kept reappearing - though it was possible to erase it and it would reappear only after some driving is "P0132 O2 Sensor High Voltage Bank1 Sensor1".

Does this help to diagnose the problem? Why would erasing codes put the car back into the limp modes, is, sometimes, more codes better than fewer? Why P0244 code is un-erasable? (One explanation would be that every time I erase it detects a new error - that is that the error is essentially being sent continuously. However why would Turbo be tested by the ECU even when the Engine is not running?)
 

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The battery plays a major role on these cars and recently my gearbox even refused to change, all the symptoms pointed to a conductor plate/speed sensor fault based on reviews and forums but thankfully the good people of Prestige Car Service in Horndean (highly recommended on this forum) did a check and saved me £500 by checking on star and seeing the battery was on its way out. New battery and everything is back to normal.

The S Class are very advanced and so many factors can play a role in the smallest fault. In the long run the diagnosis route is often the cheapest unless the fault is glaringly obvious.


Given the number of times I started the engine and immediately switched off the battery was probably good to start with. But after so many engine starts with virtually no driving I will be charging it overnight using a CTEK charger.
 
I had the same symptoms a few days again but without the EML. I had a read and concluded it was the MAF. It was cheaper and more convenient for me to take a punt on a new MAF especially over the holiday weekend. 15 mind swapped it out.

Sorted!

Do you have a facelift version? Replacing MAFs in 15 minutes is very impressive given that I was not able to find a MAF in my car. Picture of my car's engine is attached in the post above. I would imagine MAF would be right after the air filter - so in theory it should be clearly visible on that picture but I could not find it. Also aren't there two MAFs on right and left hand side? Or is it perhaps th thing right next to the Turbo?
 
MAF faults tend not to put the EML light on these. I am guessing you had two faults and it was the O2 sensor fault putting the EML on. The limp mode fault is related to the P0244 and it is a current fault hence it keeps coming back. One some CDIs (I know for a W210) there can be a fault in the charge system (turbo, EGR etc) but the car puts it into limp via the MAF (if that makes sense). Can't help more than that I'm afraid but I'm sure someone can
 
Hi,

Had another look under the bonnet. The small hose that feeds into the air inlet just before the turbo appeared to be a source of leaks and soot. I found it to be loosish (nor loose but not tightly fitted either) on the turbo side so I was able to pull it out very easily. It feels like a DIY job with incorrect red ring used. I attach a picture showing the hose. Does anyone know what it is and could loosing fit cause problems due to soot / oil leakage etc (for example turbo electrical connection appears directly below it ) ?
 

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Those plugs you disconnected in the first picture are the plugs for the MAF`s.

The problem is that rectangular plastic box in the second picture fixed to the turbo. This is a common fault and can give all those codes...i don`t know why , but also someone else on here had the same thing?

You should not erase error codes unless you have replaced an item as sometimes the code you erased will not come back for some number of cold starts so you will still have a problem but the code won`t show until the ECU says so.

Erasing the codes is best left to the indy chap as then he knows where to diagnose.

You won`t get an EML from the O2 sensor gone kaput on this engine as it depends which part of the sensor has gone. If the heater circuit, no problem but if emissions you should then get the light.
 
Without looking at it, it sounds like either the solenoid for the waste gate is faulty ir the linkage it moves has siezed. I very much doubt that it will beva pipe as i would have thought the code will clear when the engine is switched off.
 
Do you have a facelift version? Replacing MAFs in 15 minutes is very impressive given that I was not able to find a MAF in my car. Picture of my car's engine is attached in the post above. I would imagine MAF would be right after the air filter - so in theory it should be clearly visible on that picture but I could not find it. Also aren't there two MAFs on right and left hand side? Or is it perhaps th thing right next to the Turbo?

Facelift S210 with I6 320cdi engine. 15 mins easy! Just mounted at the air filter box above the turbo.
 
Hi,

Had another look under the bonnet. The small hose that feeds into the air inlet just before the turbo appeared to be a source of leaks and soot. I found it to be loosish (nor loose but not tightly fitted either) on the turbo side so I was able to pull it out very easily. It feels like a DIY job with incorrect red ring used. I attach a picture showing the hose. Does anyone know what it is and could loosing fit cause problems due to soot / oil leakage etc (for example turbo electrical connection appears directly below it ) ?

That connection is part of the EGR where gases are recovered from under the rocker area. The circular gubbins where it is fitted to the engine collects the entrained oil and is supposed to keep it under the rocker but inevitably a tiny amount will travel down the pipe and into the turbo area. Not sure what what the sensor measures! These pipes all need to be gas and oil tight.
 
Hi,

Thanks to all who replied.

Could I try some fuel additive for injector cleaning to also clean the turbo (read somewhere that injector cleaners also might clean turbo though not sure whether this is the case)?

Does turbo send error signals several times per second even when the engine is not running (as this would explain why I can't erase the "P0244 Turbocharge Wastegate Solenoid A Range / Performance") ? (When I try to erase P0244 if it is stored error then it immediately (less than 1 s) arises as pending error, if it is pending then erasing does not do anything.)

Why would erasing errors put my car back into limp mode even though I was out of it just before erasing? Is it the case that more errors is better as ECU just does not trust them at all and goes into normal mode?
 

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